ATLANTA (AP) — A federal panel of medical experts on Wednesday recommended an expansion of RSV vaccinations for adults and a new combination shot as another option to protect teens against meningitis.
The 15-member panel typically makes recommendations to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how vaccines should be used.
But in a break from decades of practice, the person evaluating Wednesday's recommendations won't have a background in medicine: The agency is without a permanent director, so an ex-prosecutor now at the CDC will make the call.
The decision will fall to the CDC's chief of staff, Matthew Buzzelli, said Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon.
Buzzelli is not a physician. His CDC bio touts his experience as an attorney, including as a federal prosecutor.
The scientific panel's recommendations on Wednesday were:
— People 50 to 59 should be able to get vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus have risks including heart disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.
— Endorsement of a new combination shot made by GSK that protects against five strains of meningococcal bacteria, including a strain that caused a spate of outbreaks on college campuses about 10 years ago. It would join other products that also target the germs.
— Adding a second chikungunya vaccine to the options for Americans age 12 and older who are traveling to countries where outbreaks of the mosquito-borne illness are occurring. About 100 to 200 cases are reported annually among U.S. travelers.
— Adding a new precaution for the older chikungunya vaccine that uses weakened but live virus: People 65 and older should weigh the risks of benefits of that version of the shot, the panel said. The precaution was added after panel members heard about an investigation into six reports of people 65 and older — most of them with other medical problems — who became ill with heart or brain symptoms less than a week after vaccination. The investigation is continuing.
It’s not clear how quickly Buzzelli will decide whether to accept the recommendations.
The Trump administration named Susan Monarez as acting CDC director in January, and last month picked her to lead the agency. But while she’s awaiting Senate confirmation, she has essentially recused herself from regular duties because of federal law around vacancies, according to two CDC officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss agency matters and feared being fired.
Monarez holds a doctorate in microbiology and immunology.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
FILE - This electron microscope image provided by the National Institutes of Health shows human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) virions, colorized blue, and anti-RSV F protein/gold antibodies, colorized yellow, shedding from the surface of human lung cells. (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH via AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — The Celtics' 3-point touch came back in Game 3, so the Knicks didn't.
Jayson Tatum had 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, Payton Pritchard scored 23 points and Boston easily got its first win in the Eastern Conference semifinals by routing New York 115-93 on Saturday.
The Celtics went 20 for 40 from 3-point range after going just 25 for 100 in their two losses in Boston, when they blew 20-point leads in the second half of both games. The defending NBA champions went ahead by 31 in this one and there was never anything resembling a comeback for the Knicks.
“You've got to beat us four times. That’s what it comes down to. Not twice, not once, not three,” Celtics forward Jaylen Brown said. “You’ve got to win four games, so there’s a lot of basketball to be played.”
Tatum, an All-Star who shot just 12 for 42 overall in Boston, and Pritchard, the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, both made five 3s.
Brown scored 19 points and Derrick White had 17 for the Celtics, who will try to tie the series Monday night in Game 4 before returning to Boston for Game 5 on Wednesday.
Jalen Brunson scored 27 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 15 rebounds for the Knicks, who blew a 2-0 lead in this round last year and are still seeking their first conference finals appearance since 2000.
“I don’t think we came with the mindset of being satisfied, but I think it was just subconsciously satisfied being up 2-0," Brunson said. “Just not the way we need to approach the game.”
Boston made more 3-pointers than any team in NBA history during the regular season, when it swept all four meetings against New York. But the Celtics were ice cold to open this series, starting with an NBA playoff-record 45 misses in Game 1.
They made their first four 3-point shots in a blistering start Saturday and never really slowed down. They finished 6 for 7 behind the arc en route to a 36-20 lead, their highest-scoring first quarter of the postseason, quickly taking the energy out of a crowd where some fans paid more than $600 per ticket to be in the arena with the celebrities for one of the biggest games the Knicks have played in the 2000s.
“Just a matter of time,” Tatum said.
Tatum and Pritchard hit consecutive 3s for a 55-33 lead with 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the half, and Boston took a 71-46 lead to the locker room.
New York was 5 for 25 behind the arc and shot 68.6% on free throws — though that was mostly because Mitchell Robinson went 4 for 12 as the Celtics fouled the poor free throw shooter intentionally.
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Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown, left, knocks over New York Knicks' Josh Hart, right, during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
New York Knicks' Cameron Payne, left, and Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown, right, battle for the ball during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson, center, drives to the basket between Boston Celtics' Derrick White, left, and Jayson Tatum, right, during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
New York Knicks' Cameron Payne, right, shoots over Boston Celtics' Luke Kornet, center, during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum reacts after shooting a 3-point basket during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, Saturday, May 10, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
